Have you seen those blurred, black letters sprawled across the Center for the Creative Arts walls? One more act of graffiti vandalism on an ever-growing list.
Even if you haven't, drive by CCArts. You might be delighted to see what's there now.
Student interns, working with a Newark artist, are replacing the graffiti with a shimmering mosaic reminiscent of the work of French painter Henri Matisse.
Since June, they have been carefully cutting and carving broken chunks of ceramic tile, mirrors, bottles and dishes to prepare for the Yorklyn art center installation.
Mosaic artist Celeste Kelly said the toughest part is applying grout to the outside brick wall – if it dries in the humid August weather before everything is in place, the only way to remove it involves the acid.
|
'Meet the Artists' open house Sept. 10, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Meet the teaching artists and see their work Center for the Creative Arts 410 Upper Snuff Mill Row, Yorklyn 302-239-2434 |
When the sun strikes the mosaic, the entire thing seems to shimmer, she said.
Having art outside the building is something CCArts has wanted to do for a long time and covering up a particularly large patch of graffiti kills two birds with one stone, said Rebecca Eppig, camp director.
She’s hopeful that future graffiti artists will show the mosaic some respect, especially since they seem to prefer blank canvasses.
But the mosaic does more than cover graffiti – it was a way to teach this year’s interns some skills they might not get in a standard, oil-and-water art class, she said.
Making the tiles and mixing all the adhesive has been a lot of work, but it’s rewarding to see the wall take shape, said Oliver Orrben, 15, who lives in Hockessin.
He hopes the mosaic, crafted from broken objects, sends a message that recycling can be beautiful. Seeing the shining artwork slowly replace the glaring graffiti makes him feel good, he said.
“We’re taking something ugly away and putting something beautiful on,” he said.
